A String of Blessings and Answered Prayers

I have just given birth and along with it is a string of blessings and answered prayers. Long before I gave birth, I already had a long list of petitions or requests to the Father. I prayed them almost every night and as often as I can remember. I believed in my heart that though I had a lot of “demands,” God could make a way for me to have them. True enough, I got what I prayed for and even more.

Let me share with you my list of petitions. First and foremost in my list is to have a safe and normal delivery. I’ve always been afraid of giving birth because of the stories I’ve heard from many women who’ve shared their birth stories to me. So the moment I accepted that I was pregnant, I prayed fervently that I’d be able to give birth with the least possible pain and that it would be normal. I also prayed that my husband would be home when I start to have labor pains, that he’d be the one to bring me to the hospital and that he’d be beside me when I give birth. I prayed that the medical staff who would assist me would be an all female team and that my ob would be a friend of mine with whom I am comfortable with. I prayed that the cost of my delivery would be within the budget we have set aside. I prayed that my labor would be fast and that I’d give birth easily. I prayed that I would not bleed and would not need to have a blood transfusion. I prayed that the car we recently ordered would be released before I give birth so we can use it to bring me to the hospital. I prayed that my husband’s 13th month pay would be released before I give birth so we have a buffer just in case I need to give birth through CS. I prayed that we’d be able to document the baby’s birth and that I would have enough milk to breastfeed our baby. I also prayed that we’d be able to find an affordable and good contractor for paint services so we can have the interiors of the condo painted in time for the baby’s birth. I think by now you would agree that I have indeed made quite a long list of petitions. Well, I’ve always been very open to God about my needs and desires and I’m not ashamed to ask. And based on my previous experiences, He usually gives in to my requests no matter how big or trivial they may be.

One by one my prayers were answered. God gave us timely provisions and made a way for us to save up for the cost of my delivery. My ob is a friend of mine and a sister in the faith. She made arrangements with the hospital that I would be assisted by an all female hospital staff during my delivery. The car that we ordered was released five days before I gave birth and my husband’s 13th month pay was released the day before. And when the big day came, George was home. We believe that God paved the way for it. He was having a headache that morning and he decided to be on sick leave. At first he was thinking of going to work after lunch but he eventually decided to rest the whole day. That same afternoon at around 4:30 pm, the mucous plug in my cervix was detached and at around 11 pm my water bag broke. Thank God we have a car that we were able to use to bring me to the hospital fast. I thought that George would not be allowed to enter the labor room because we still have one session to attend in our Lamaze class and we do not have a certificate yet. But again, when God is your ally, He can part seas for you. So with the help of my ob friend, George was by my side all throughout the time that I was in labor. I also had a relatively fast labor and was able to give birth in five hours. They say this is quite fast for a first time mom. It can take 12 hours or longer for some women. Thank God He spared me from prolonged suffering and pain. I gave birth though normal delivery and our baby was normal and healthy. He even scored 9.9 in the Apgar test which the doctors use to assess newborns. And because my delivery was normal, our baby and I didn’t have any complications, and my ob is a friend, we were able to save some money and we used this to buy some more things for our baby. We were also able to document our baby’s birth with the help of my ob. I was able to breastfeed our baby as early as a few hours after birth and until now, God sustains me so I have enough milk for him and I’m able to continue breastfeeding. And as a bonus, when George’s uncle found out that I already gave birth and that we’re planning to have the interiors of our condo painted, he volunteered his workers to do the job for us. He also offered to shoulder the cost of the materials. We were only praying for an affordable contractor for the paint job but God gave it to us for free – labor and materials. This also saved us a lot of money, enough for us to confidently plan for our son’s baptism as early as now.


Isn’t God great? Isn’t He amazingly generous and gracious? It’s just right that we named our son Gian, meaning God is gracious, for we continue to benefit from His graciousness. I can’t be silent. He deserves to be honored and praised!


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